This invention relates generally to fuel cells and more particularly to methods and apparatus for qualifying at least a portion of a fuel cell system.
Fuel cells electrochemically convert fuels and oxidants to electricity and they can be categorized according to the type of electrolyte (e.g., solid oxide, molten carbonate, alkaline, phosphoric acid, or solid polymer) used to accommodate ion transfer during operation. Moreover, fuel cell assemblies can be employed in many (e.g., automotive to aerospace to industrial to residential) environments, for multiple applications.
A Proton Exchange Membrane (hereinafter xe2x80x9cPEMxe2x80x9d) fuel cell converts the chemical energy of fuels such as hydrogen and oxidants such as air/oxygen directly into electrical energy. The PEM is a solid polymer electrolyte that permits the passage of protons (i.e., H+ions) from the xe2x80x9canodexe2x80x9d side of a fuel cell to the xe2x80x9ccathodexe2x80x9d side of the fuel cell while preventing passage therethrough of reactant fluids (e.g., hydrogen and air/oxygen gases).
Usually, an individual PEM-type fuel cell assembly or stack has multiple, generally transversely extending layers assembled in a longitudinal direction. In the typical fuel cell assembly or stack, all layers which extend to the periphery of the fuel cells have holes therethrough for alignment and formation of fluid manifolds that generally service fluids for the stack. As is known in the art, some of the fluid manifolds distribute fuel (e.g., hydrogen) and oxidant (e.g., air/oxygen) to, and remove unused fuel and oxidant as well as product water from, fluid flow plates having fluid flow channels.
Before a fuel cell stack is qualified for use in a system to provide electrical power, it must be incubated or prepared for use, as is known by those of ordinary skill in the art. This process uses hydrogen, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen as a substitute or surrogate for reformate in the fuel cell stack. These gases are expensive to purify, store, and use in the amounts that this process requires.
Thus, there is a need for an efficient method and apparatus for qualifying fuel cell systems and portions thereof.
The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a method for enabling qualification of a fuel cell system. The method includes electronically obtaining at least one result of a test of at least a portion of the fuel cell system and electronically comparing the at least one result to at least one qualifying criteria.
The present invention provides, in a second aspect, an apparatus for enabling qualification of a fuel cell system. The apparatus includes a testing mechanism couplable to a computing unit and couplable to the fuel cell system. The testing mechanism is adapted to perform a test on at least a portion of the fuel cell system and the computing unit is adapted to control a testing mechanism, obtain a result of a test, and compare the result to a qualification criteria.
The present invention provides, in a third aspect, an apparatus for enabling qualification of a fuel cell system. The apparatus includes means for electronically obtaining at least one result of a test on at least a portion of the fuel cell system and means for electronically comparing the at least one result to at least one qualifying criteria.
The present invention provides, in a fourth aspect, an apparatus for enabling qualification of a fuel cell system. The apparatus includes a computing unit adapted to obtain at least one result of a test on at least a portion of the fuel cell system and a computing unit adapted to compare the at least one result to at least one qualifying criteria.
The present invention provides, in a fifth aspect, an article of manufacture including at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for enabling qualification of a fuel cell system. The computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture includes computer readable program code means for causing a first computing unit to obtain at least one result of a test on at least a portion of the fuel cell system and computer readable program code means for comparing the at least one result to at least one qualifying criteria.
The present invention provides, in a sixth aspect, at least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of qualifying a fuel cell system. The method includes electronically obtaining at least one result of a test on at least a portion of the fuel cell system and electronically comparing the at least one result to at least one qualifying criteria.